To investigate the risks of connective tissue diseases (CTDs)
following breast implants we used the nationwide Danish
Hospital Discharge Register (HDR) to identify 2,570 women who
received breast implants, either for cosmetic reasons (N =
1,135) or for breast reconstruction (N = 1,435), between 1977
and 1992. Two additional cohorts of women having either breast
reduction surgery (N = 7,071) or breast cancer without
implants (N = 3,952) were identified for comparison.